Renaissance art inspiration behind Winnipeg photographer's work

Her subjects are going through one of the most intense and raw experiences of life: giving birth. But Elliana Allon, 38,turns pain into moments of beauty and serenity, captured forever through her camera lens.

"I just find that it's the most artistically inspiring type of material to look at, especially coming from a sacred art perspective," said theWinnipeg-basedphotographer, who specializes in labour and birth photography. She is the latest artist featured in theManitoba Creates series.

Allon, a former nurse, became a full-time photographer in 2015, and an on-call birth photographer a year later. Her photography practice also includesboudoir, pregnancyand studio work.

Allon's work of labouring women, their partnersand the newborns has a clear thematic vision.

"I am mainly guided, not so much by photography as a technique, but I am guided by the principles of fine art, specifically, the Renaissance," said Allon.

Manitoba Creates: Birth photographer captures moments of beauty and serenity

6 years ago

Duration 2:56

Elliana Allon is a former nurse and now an on-call birth photographer. Guided by the principles of fine art, she captures the intimate moments of labouring women, their partners and the newborns. Video by Tyler Funk and Carmen Ponto.

She also captures women in the post-birth glow of relief, elation and exhaustion. Her images also freeze those precious moments between mother and newborn immediatelyafter birth.

Allon is on the job during births but she is not a dispassionate observer, she said.

"I end up going through stuff with my clients. I feel pain.I sympathize.I feel compassion. I see women, especially labouring and birthing women, go through very pretty dark places. I can't just sit there and stay disconnected just to tell a story unbiasedly."

She has photographed 25 births so far and hopes to create a "legacy of work that depicts birth, motherhood and the feminine realm as the sacred art that I believe it to be."

Allon is currently looking for a publisher to work with on a fine art book and would ultimately like to see her work shown in galleries.